When does Force Feeding Become and Option?

[Albert Clark]

In the beginning of the poet you said she was 2.2 years old? Then later you described her non feeding behavior as teenage? A 2.2 year old bp weighing 630 gms? In any case you are trying to feed her too frequently. And this is just my opinion, switch to a10 to 12 day attempt to feed. If every week you are being unsuccessful the law of averages are working against you and her. Extend the time in between and consider feeding very late at night and in the complete dark. Mix a little 100% cypress mulch into the aspen and just back off the feeding attempts for the next 12 days. Definitely don't handle her or allow anyone else to handle her during this time. As a matter of fact I would start today and forget about that feeding you were going to do. Good luck and stay in peace and not pieces. Force feeding is way too stressful and you have so many other options right now.

[AngleusGabriel]

About the color of the mice, best I can say is that I fed a different color and animal with the chick. So far as colored rats go, I believe she is to small for a live rat and I do not have access to those since PetCo does not let me choose the color of F/T animals.

To the shedding person, yes I know when they shed they poop. She shed for me twice, first time was a terrible shed, second time was perfect. So I expect her to lose weight but I do not want her to be on the edge of death before I decide to force feed her.

Her/Him? The original owner purchased the snake with the seller already having it sexed as a female.

To the person saying do not feed today. I am still going to because since she was shedding I literally only held her twice this week, once to clean the cage and earlier after I found out she was in shed. So all things considered, I did not extenuate her no where near as much as the first month and a half.

So far as husbandry conditions. She does spend a good 3 hours trying to find an exit to the cage. Which she never has gotten out on her own, thus the idea of I did it before is not in her head.

The force feeding question is when should I?

How small in weight can a 31" female snake get before I should do such a thing?

[200xth]

I do not want her to be on the edge of death before I decide to force feed her.
...
The force feeding question is when should I?

There's no specific weight or time, it varies depending on snake and circumstances, and everyone will have a slightly different answer, but you're not even close to the point of needing to do that yet for your snake.

[Daigga]

When should you? Not until you're sure its the only course of action left. Keep in mind, if you do this wrong you're very liable to do more harm than good in the end. Are you prepared to cause that much stress on your snake? My calico pastel took a month to eat for me, my cinnamon took almost 3 and she still only eats once a month or so now. Everyone has their problem eaters, the best thing for them is patience and to leave them be in peace. Odds are your snake will not starve itself to death and if you keep up offering food eventually she'll take it.

By the by 600-700 grams is terribly small for a female over 2 years old. I have 3 born in 2013 and the smallest of them is close to 800g, the largest being over 1100.

[frostysBP]

I just got one of my males back onto food after a 7 month fast. Give it time and more time. She will eat when she is ready. I moved my male to a smaller tub for a month with no offering of food at all and only picked him up to move to clean tub. Then offered a rat crawler at midnight last night woke up to no rat.

[DVirginiana]

I wouldn't consider force/assist feeding until you look at the snake and think 'That animal is about to starve to death'. It's incredibly stressful and generally a bad idea unless you're talking about babies.

When mine wouldn't eat I had it recommended to get a paper bag and a rubberband to shut the top of it with, heat the mouse up and put the snake and mouse in the bag and leave them for awhile. I never had any luck; ended up having to feed live before mine would eat, but it might be worth a try.